How Harmonizing Every Aspect of a Production Affects Your Experience

If you’ve just left a performance of Hamilton or finished the latest Game of Thrones episode, you probably didn’t notice the “eleven o’clock number” or the “crane shot.” That’s because they were executed so effectively. They were integrated flawlessly into the entire production and even more importantly, did not disrupt the overall experience.

The performing arts industry sets a clear standard on production cohesion: a standard of harmony that all disciplines ultimately seek. Consistently, our multifamily industry continues to move in this direction as we focus on unifying our brands, consolidating technology choices and developing assets that reflect their location and neighborhood..  

How can I balance a singular concept and a collaborative structure?

In Edward Gordon Craig’s book, On the Art of the Theatre, he defines the notion of “total theatre” so that the stage director alone is tasked with harmonizing all the elements of a production: acting, music, stage design, make-up, etc. The result? A complete theatrical experience. The most effective products and companies often share that very same goal of creating an unmitigated experience or a singular, unified vision.

Words like “alone” and “singular” can have a non-synergistic ring to them, but are essential to the concept of “total theatre” and can even strengthen a collaborative environment. Thus, the director is not the creator herself, but actually the facilitator of creation. She is dependent on an actor or a designer to create, innovate, and work toward that one vision.

This is important to remember no matter what kind of collaborative team you are on. Whether you are responsible for designing the interior lobby of a new apartment community, selecting which mobile app to deploy to your residents, or closing as many leases as you can in a week, you should be working toward the most unified vision.   

Before you can depend on your team to fully commit to a singular concept, they must understand it. In the performing arts, it is up to the director to convey what the concept is and persuade the team to believe (or adhere) to the construct. Just like the stage director, those in multifamily leadership positions must constantly hone their vision and even more importantly, effectively communicate their vision to their team. The vision/concept must define the limits or establish the “rules of the world” for a given project so that the team members can work within that vision. 

Do I construct processes or promote creativity to achieve a harmonious experience?

An actor can pull from a variety of methods (Meisner Technique, Practical Aesthetics, Stanislavsky’s System, etc.) to approach a character they play. Undoubtedly, a theatre production where the director forced all actors to use the same acting method would be an uneven experience at best. Simply creating or dictating uniform processes or tasks will not create a cohesive experience for your audience. Stage directors do not often coach actors on which technique to utilize, but rather create a clear vision of that character’s world in the context of the production. The more detailed that concept is, the more creative an actor can be in fitting cohesively into the overall vision.

We can apply the same style of leadership to our multifamily management tasks. Creating a tour script structure for your leasing agent is important, but perhaps writing out the dialogue might not be as necessary. Instructing the team to ask drop-ins, “Great, I am glad you came by, are you new to this region or are you presently living in the area?” might yield a valuable answer from the prospect, but how does it affect the overall experience?  Imagine sharing a vision with your leasing team that inspires creativity: “We want our prospects to feel like you love and know this area and you are excited about them moving and contributing to the neighborhood.” A creative leasing professional might still ask if they are new to the area, but this clear vision allows them the freedom to demonstrate artistry in the sale. Perhaps they share about the beautiful run they had in the park across the street or encourage them to test out the tried and true Thai place two blocks over. Any industry professional can mirror the director whose job is not to create, but to facilitate and review creation.

Can I be in the room where it where happens but maintain an outsider’s perspective?

A director must frequently ask themselves how their vision is coming across. Are the team’s creations fitting into the world of the project? Does anything disrupt the experience? Are there opportunities to strengthen that concept? How many revisions did Lin-Manuel Miranda make on “The Room Where it Happens?” Who else was considered to play Jon Snow before Kit Harrington was offered the role? Backing up from any aspect to survey the whole aesthetic of a production is vital to maintaining cohesion. 

Continuously evaluating our vision is something we also need to do in the multifamily industry. Whether we have to consider if a social media post disrupts an apartment community’s brand or message or if the concierge is equipped with the proper tools to handle the expected tasks at hand, it is important we keep our eyes on the directorial prize—a clearly realized and understood, audience-engaging, consumer experience.